Jury chosen for former Auburn cop's trial

A jury was selected today to decide whether former Auburn police officer Brian K. Hutchings is guilty or innocent of abusing his position to gain business services at his residence.

Lawyers finished choosing the jury this afternoon and opening attorney arguments are to start at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, a Cayuga County Court spokeswoman said.

Hutchings, 49, of 72 Metcalf Dr., was suspended from the police department last March after he was indicted on 14 charges, including five felonies. He faces up seven years imprisonment if convicted of the most serious felony charge, receiving a bribe in the third degree.

According to the charges, Hutchings told the unidentified business that he would not ticket its commercial vehicles and told the business when and where the state Department of Transportation was conducting commercial vehicle safety inspections in exchange for the company doing work at his residence.

Hutchings is also standing trial on charges he used abusive police tactics to avoid repaying an unspecified amount of money to the business. He roughed up a driver in 2008 and wrote false traffic tickets against the business, according to the indictment.

The city fired Hutchings, who had been a police officer for 19 years, last April. A month later a grand jury indicted Hutchings on several more bribery- and misconduct-related charges connected to the case. In a separate case, Hutchings also faces charges that he stole more than $3,000 from the Police Benevolent Association while he served as treasurer from 2001 to 2008.